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Saturday, July 5, 2014

A Challenge and a CZT Adventure...

WARNING!!!! This post is exceptionally long, BUT, I had to post my diva challenge piece AND talk about attending the AWESOME CZT Seminar 15 in Providence (plus a few days in Boston)! Hang in there... get a cup of coffee and maybe a cookie, or if it just seems like too much, just take a look at the photos! :)

Let's start with the fabulous diva's weekly challenge: Weekly Challenge #174 : Superimposing Strings (via guest challenge creator Aimee Belair, CZT) As it is the 4th of July this week, I decided to take it in a patriotic direction. I drew a star string and then waving stripes as the superimposed string. So without a lot of additional fanfare here is my entry for this challenge... (I have to hurry to get to the knitty gritty of this post!!)

Okay... now for the adventure! The girls and I flew out on a red eye from Los Angeles to Boston. We were pretty bleary eyed (sleeping on a plane is not easy) when we arrived at 6:00 am, but extremely excited to explore Boston for a few days. We arrived at our hotel to find out no rooms were available, they were sold out the night before so the likelihood of having an early check in was pretty slim. We were happy that they took our bags, so at least we wouldn't have to drag them around town! We stayed at the Omni Parker House hotel. It is in a great central location for walking all around the city. One of the employees directed us to a great little place called, The Paramount, for breakfast. Delicious! We then ventured over to the Boston Public Gardens...

The Boston Public Gardens are gorgeous!

So beautiful... But... we... were... so... tired... Took a few photos and then found benches to take naps on. It was pretty funny. We felt like homeless travelers. We were VERY grateful the weather was beautiful.

I took this picture of Leila napping on the next bench...

Still so tired at lunch that Cami kept falling asleep while eating...

Just a cool shot I got while walking near Faneuil Hall.

We did so much sight seeing in Boston, and this first day in particular felt like the longest day EVER! We would glance at the time and be surprised by how early in the day it still was. I guess that is what happens when you don't sleep and then embark on a day full of activities! We had such a great time! Here are a few of my favorite photos from the first few days. (I am trying not to overwhelm with details that are exciting to me, but may be boring to anyone else!) The girls and I all enjoyed our time in Boston very much! What a beautiful, vibrant, fun city!

The clouds reflection on this building were spectacular!

I love all the beautiful brownstones...

Selfie!! Girls and I taking the escalator at the Prudential Building.

Leila takes a photo of us with her fancy GoPro.

I LOVED the Boston Public Library!
Took this picture of Cami (and Leila) here... The light was awesome!

I have sooooo many more photos, but don't want to overwhelm... So I will regretfully stop with the Boston photos here. Maybe I'll add more at a later time to Flickr... hmmm...

On Sunday, we rented a car and headed to our much anticipated destination... Providence, Rhode Island. Home for the next five days while we attended the 15th Certified Zentangle® Teacher Seminar.

What an awesome way to be welcomed!!

Oh my... I don't quite know how to fully express how absolutely wonderful this experience was. I was expecting it to be great... It completely surpassed my expectations. This time that I shared with my girls is one of the greatest gifts I have ever received. (Thank you, honey, for sending us on this trip!) Leila and Cami enjoyed themselves so much that everyday after a full day of class we would return to the room and they would continue to tangle until nearly midnight (and after). I also realized that my seventeen year old was hardly ever on her phone!!! It's a MIRACLE!!!

The other seminar participants we met were so kind, and all amazing artists. (Special shout out to Connie Souza... We sat with her everyday and she is so sweet and so VERY talented!)

The girls and I with the amazing and oh-so-kind Connie...

The Zentangle family of Rick, Maria, Molly, Martha, Sue, Jane, etc. (everyone!) are the absolute nicest, most inspirational, generous, and good people you can ever imagine meeting.

We LOVE selfies! Especially when they include Rick & Maria...

...and Maria... again...

...and Molly!!!

The attention they paid to every tiny detail to make this experience special for all was absolutely incredible. Their presentation skills are awesome. We enjoyed... Every. Single. Second.

It is lunch break, but we keep on tangling!

White on Black Tile : I now LOVE working on the black tiles!

My first Renaissance tile... LOVE IT! Can't wait to do more!

One of the evenings we had a special speaker, someone I had been looking VERY forward to meeting, Laura Harms. The famous lady (diva) behind iamthedivaczt.blogspot.com.

Well... of course we have a selfie with THE diva!!

She spoke of her Zentangle journey. It was a beautiful speech... touching, funny, inspirational, and even included a little song and dance! She received a standing ovation. It was very well deserved. The girls and I made a point to make sure we took a "selfie" with her. So fun! She was also so kind to write a little note to my dad, who has completed EVERY diva challenge (and he just started tangling in the fall 2013!) It was such a thoughtful thing for her to do... Thank you again, Laura!

Isn't she soooo cute! Posing with the note for my dad!

CUUUUPPPCAAAAKES!!!!

It's official! Newly minted CZTs!!!

I am holding myself back to not go on, and on, and on, into the tiniest detail about all of these experiences...I'll sum it up as truly one of the best trips, EVER... and I will treasure the memories always... especially the time spent with my super bright, super talented, super beautiful, and all-around-super girls!

Hi Jean! Yes!! Yippee!!! I am so happy to have been fortunate enough to go to seminar... especially with both of my girls! It was GREAT to meet Laura! So sweet and kind! Thanks for the compliment on my tile as well... I loved seeing your entry and enjoy visiting your blog often! :)

Hi Lexey! So nice of you to find me from the Zentangle Inspired Art yahoo group! Thanks for leaving a comment! I really enjoyed checking out your blog! Sounds like your vacation was amazing! Pictures were a lot of fun! I'll look forward to seeing more of your art in the group!

Beautiful tile for the challenge, and I loved you post about your trip with your girls and seeing how much fun you had at training! Congratulations to you all! Welcome to the greatest bunch of people ever!

Thank you Kate! I so appreciate that! Yes! I am so excited! I have to say... Everyone I have "met" who loves Zentangle® has been wonderful and kind! I so enjoyed seeing your entry on your blog! Your art is beautiful! I followed your blog, so I won't miss a post!

yes, i love the way you trie to describe our time in the czt- seminar 15th.you come so close with your words, to what it was.after the seminar, i had three more days in and around providence...i had a great time, meeting nice people, and wow, the water fire at saturday was like my personal good-bye- party.

Hi!! So lovely meeting you at the seminar! I remember you told me you were staying a few more days... It sounds like you had a wonderful time! I'm so glad. Thank you so much for visiting and leaving a comment! I LOVED looking at your art. It's beautiful!

Thanks Mom!!!! You're always my biggest supporter! I love you soooo much! I am just lucky I get a little of YOUR artistic abilities! Your zentangle art is AMAZING! (Time to start that blog with your art...)

I love this blog entry! You describe the experience of attending a CZT conference very well. It takes me back to my CZT 4 seminar! The pictures are wonderful - it is very apparent that you and the girls had a fantastic time. Thank you for sharing! Patty M

Like your tile. All the Ahh around it make it look festive. enjoyed all the pictures. Welcome to you and your girls to the CZT ranks. Best wishes as your journey is just beginning. Is fun to have family involved. I have 2 relatives who are also CZTs but we live in different parts of the country.

Thanks so much! I imagined the Ahh as fireworks... I'm glad it did appear festive to you. Thank you so much for the warm welcome! I feel so fortunate to be beginning on this journey. I agree it is fun to have family involved. My youngest daughter will teach along side me and my oldest daughter lives about an hour away where she will teach... I am imagining future workshops sometime with the three of us! Doesn't that sound fun?! It's nice you can share this experience with relatives even though they don't live close... Thanks again for taking the time to comment!

Oh man!! i'm so glad i found your business card tucked inside my sketchbook!! So i could find your blog! (i may have *lovingly* hijacked a few photos...) It was so awesome to meet you guys! Tell your dad i said hi! :)

Wow, I saw your challenge piece on Flickr and for some reason just impulsively decided to still click on your blog, just to see what else you might have to say - and was so delighted to read this entry and see pictures of you and your beautiful daughters and discover you went to Providence and are a CZT! Your Renaissance tile in particular is fabulous - but so is everything else -and you really make a girl want to go to the CZT seminar ! Congrats and thanks for shariang.

Hi Jennifer!!! So lovely to see you on my blog!! I am so glad you gave into impulse too!! (I hear that's very healthy, by the way!) Yippee! You know I already stalk you on Flickr... All of your art is so beautiful and inspiring to me! Thank you so much for your lovely words! You made my day! I think you should definitely go to CZT seminar... I already want to go AGAIN! (They kind of had to kick us out...) Thanks again for letting me know you were here! :)

OMG, Holly - what a fantastic time you've been having! I'm so envious of you and your gorgeous girls. Love the photo of Cami in ballet pose!! Your tiles are absolutely stunning and ...can I say it again,..I am SO envious but delighted you've had such a wonderful time. Axxx

Hi Holly. I was in CZT 15 also. I remember seeing you and your daughters. They were so engrossed in their art. I was impressed. I enjoyed your description of the experience. Your art is wonderful. I will follow your blog.

Hi Pat! Yippee!! Wasn't that the most amazing experience! Thank you for the kind comment about my girls and for following my blog! I tried finding your blog, but couldn't link to it. Please let me know what it is so that I can follow you back! Thanks again!

...and I'm a Jamberry Consultant...

...And A Certified Copic Designer with...

Hi! I’m Holly… and I have an addiction… to all things ZENTANGLE® (art-and-crafts-and-cooking-and-baking-and-Bikram yoga…). I really think this is a very healthy (overall) addiction(s) to have. Anyway, that’s what I tell my ever-so-patient, awesome husband.
I live in Southern California, and am blessed to be a mom to the two most amazing daughters (also CZTs)! They are a constant inspiration… I also have the most adorable furry puppy-son.
I am absolutely thrilled to be a Certified Zentangle Teacher™! I feel so lucky to share this amazingly inspirational and meditative art method with my students. I encourage all to take a class! You’ll love the experience!